HONORARIUM CUT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 121, 7 May 1934, Page 5

HONORARIUM CUT

RIVER BOARD CHAIRMAN Payment to Mr. Jarvis j USUAL SUM HALVED The honorarium to be paid to Mr W. G. Jarvis for his services during his term as chairman of the Hawke’s Bay Rivers Board was to-day reduced bv the board from the customary £lOO to £5O. Mr R. E. Talbot, in bringing forward a suggestion that the honora rium to bo paid to Mr Jarvis be reduced, moved that the accounts for payment be passed subject to the honorarium to Mr Jarvis being reduced to £5O. Mr L. E. Harris, in seconding, said that the honorarium was simply voted lor services rendered during the year and the board was voting what they thought Mr Jarvis had earned. Mr J. 11. Sheath expressed the opinion that Mi Jarvis did yeoman service. He strenuously opposed the proposed reduction. He did not think the present chairman would like such a step taken, and Mr Sheath added that he personally would oppose such a step. The chairman (Mr C. Lassen? ni did not wish to comment on the matter. When he took over the chairship of the Works Committee it agreed to pay his travelling expenses, which, until he was appointed chairman of the board, amounted to about £2O. Mr 11. R. Clark' said that the work being taken out of his hands by the Works Committee was no fault of M»' Jarvis. The motion to pass the accounts was then put, the voting being;—For Messrs TaTTiot, Harris, Burns, and Macdonald. Against: Messrs Clark and Sheath. Mr Jarvis then rose to make an explanation. Messrs Talbot and Harris objected, suggesting that it be heard in committee, which course the board adopted. STATEMENT BY MR JARVIS. Later Mr Jarvis made the following statement to the Press: “Referring to the action of certain members of the board to-day, 1 say it is a poor tribute to the services given by me over a term of over 17 years in the interests of the settlers of the Hawke’s Bay rivers district, and one can only sum it up as personal suite against mo for being largely instrumental rn bringing to a successful issue a scheme of flood prevention for the district affected by the Tutaekuri river which they have consistently and inconsistently opposed until it was found by them that further opposition was futile in the face of the strong public backing given to the policy I have advocated. “Some of the members who took the attitude that was taken to-day charged me with carrying out unauthorised work in language that was anything but parliamentary, and the extraordinary procedure of trying to oust the chairman is only in keeping with the action taken to-day. Over some njonthg I have felt that I have been persecuted by a section of the board and this solely because I would net change my policy to that of certain members. I hopo that the example set by certain members to-day will not be a forerunner to other local bodies. Fortunately it is without parallel in local politics. I was amused after having received a cheque for £lOO signed by the chairman and Mr Harris tjiat both should have taken up this extraordinary attitude. “After the boar dhad reached this decision I ro.se to make an explanation when the members moved that it should be heard in committee and so prevent the public from hearing any comment that I had to make. Fortunately they were unable to gag me once the meeting was over. I have been questioned by many people why I have stood the attitude of these particular members for some months past. The reason why I have stood their unjustifiable action was that 1 did not want to set hack the scheme, not even for one day. “As far as the paltry few pounds is concerned, as much as it would assist in defraying my out of pocket expenses in carrying out the board’s business for many years past and the added insult incurred, that the work is going on expeditiously and the banks mounting up, the old channel closed and the diversion channel enlarged, giving the security to the district which I have always worked for, and the music of the Tutaekuri river whistling its way to the sea down the long-awaited new channel, more than compensate for the purile and unjustifiable actions taken against myself.’’